Sword and shield. (Clinton, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1887-01-29
SLOW do you know it was my brotherr'


slow do you know it was my brothers"
asked Sir Henry.
NAY, know not But the man, when
asked what the white man was like, sara
that he had your eyes and black beard. tie
said, too, that the name Of the hunter Win
him was Jim, that he was Bechuana hunt
er and wore clothes"
'There is no doubt about it," said L Il
knew Jim well" -
SirHenry nodded. II was sure OF II. |" ne
said. IF George set his mind upon thing,
he generally did ii. 1t was always 50 from
his boyhOod. III he meant to cross the Sull-
man Berg he has crossed it, unless some ac-
cident has Overtaken him, and we must look
for him on the other.side."
Umbopa understood English, though be
rarely spoke it.
1T is far journey. Incubu." he put in,
and translated his remark.
"Yes," answered Sir Henry, ''it is far.
But there is no journey upon this earth that
man may not make if he sets his heart to
it. There is nothing, Umbopa, that he can
not do, there are no mountains he may not
climb, there are no deserts he cannot cross,
save mountain and desert of which you
are spared the knowledge, if love leads him
and he holds his life in his hand counting il
as nothing, ready to keep or to lose it as
Providence may order"
translated.
''Great words, my father" answered the
Zulu q. always called him Zulu, though
he was not really one), great swelling
words fit to I'LL the mouth Of a man. You
are right, my father Incubu. Listen! what
is life? 1t is a feather, it is the seed OF
grass, blown hither and thither, sometimes
multiplying itself and dying in the act,
sometimes carried away into the heavens.
But if the seed be good and heavy it may
percbance travel little way on the road i
wills. It is well to try and journey ones
road and to fight with the air. Man must
die. At the worst he can but die sooner.
will go with you across the desert and over
the mountains, unless perchance fall to the
ground on the way, my father" @
He paused awhile and then went on With
one of those strange bursts Of rhetorical elo
ouence which Zulus sometimes indulge in,
and which to my mind, full as they are Of
vain repetitions, show that the race is by no
means devoid of sort of intellectual power.
"What is life? Tell me, OIL white men,
who are wise, who knows the secret OF the
world that lies above and around the stars;
who fash their words from afar without
voice: tell me- white men. the secret Oh our
life-whither it goes and whence 1t comes!
s'Ye cannot answer; We know not Listen,
7 will answer. Out of the dark we came, In
to the dark we 60. Like storm-driven bird
at night we fy out of the Nowhere; for q
nsx-e 1Tssg loi IEe are gone again into 5ile
lsTe. lire Is notnIlg. - Is ali. 4
) - fhe glow-wCrm that shines in the night
if5 iMff and is black in the morning; it is as tht
! white breath of the oxen in the winter; it !:
! as the little shadow that runs across the
! grass and loses itself at sunset. | hayt
! spoken"
7 'You are a strange man." said Sir Henry
. Umbopa laughed. ut seems to me tha
we are much alike, Incubu. Perhaps seel
a brother over the mountains" looked a
him suspiciousIy. "What do you meany
! asked; what do you know of the noun
T tains?'
, "A little: very little There is strang
/ land there, land of Witchcraft and beaut
, full things; land of brave people, and
, trees. and streams, and white mountains
a and of a great white ROAD. nave heaIo
! it. But what is the good OF talking2 !
: grows dark Those who live to see, vii
see."
| Again l looked at him doubtfully. TIL
man knew too much.
: 'Ye need not fear me, Macumazahn," b
r said, interpreting my look. II dig no hole
for We to fall in. make no plots. II eve
!, we cross those mountains behind the sun,
!, will tell what know But Death sits upol
B them. Be wise and turn back. Go and hun
elephant. / have spoken"
D And without another word he lifted hi
. spear in salutation, and turned toward the
7 camp. where shortly afterward we foun'
t him cleaning gun like any other Kafr.
THAT is an odd man," said Sir Henry.
"Yes." answered i, "too odd by half.
don't like his little ways. He knows some
thing and won't spit it out. But ! suppOs
it is no use quaTeIing with him. We are il
: for curious trip, and a mysterious Zul
won't make much difference one way or an
other"
{ (T6 be (a0nfanued.1